Amazing Grace
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Phil realizes what's been right in front of him this entire time when Melinda almost dies.


**I don't own SHIELD and never will. No copyright infringement intended.**

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Phil felt his heart stop (again) the instant he saw Melinda cry out in pain and crumple to the floor when a Hydra agent shot her in the stomach. He called out her name and rushed to her side just as Ward killed the man who shot Melinda. "You're going to be just fine," Phil assured Melinda as he placed his hands on her stomach to stop the bleeding.

Melinda looked up at him, dazed, and then whimpered. "Not going to make it."

"Don't you dare fucking say that, Melinda May. We've made it through worse. Did someone call for an ambulance? Where are the fucking paramedics?"

A tearful Skye placed a hand on his shoulder. "They're on their way. May, don't worry. The doctors at the hospital are going to take good care of you." She scurried away and Phil vaguely registered her falling apart in Jemma and Ward's arms.

"Tired," she mumbled. Melinda was so cold.

"Don't fall asleep. Don't do that. Just talk to me about your day or what happened yesterday," he pleaded. "I don't care, Melinda. You are not dying on me. Stay awake!" Phil screamed.

She moaned and her eyes closed. Still keeping pressure on her wound, he had to be forcefully pried away from Melinda when the paramedics arrived a minute or so later. "Sir, are you hurt?"

"Maybe he needs to be sedated," Phil heard a worried Skye say.

"Is she dead?" he asked.

"No, AC, but she could die. We need to go to the hospital now. Let Ward help you up, okay? And we'll clean you up when we get there." Skye watched worriedly as the others helped Phil stand up. They practically had to walk him to the van because he was so out of it.

Melinda went in for surgery, and Phil escaped to the bathroom to clean himself up – he refused the others' help. He was horrified by how unkempt he looked in the mirror. "Pull yourself together, Phil," he told his reflection. And that's the moment he realized _why_ he was so upset. Holy shit, he was in love with Melinda. How had he not seen it before? Looking back, maybe that's why she had stuck by him during the shitshow that was these past two years.

He went out into the waiting room to find Skye by herself. "The others went to the cafeteria to get something to eat," the hacker explained as Phil sat down next to her.

He looked at his surrogate daughter. "Did you know that I'm in love with May?"

She stared at him for a few seconds. "… Yes? But I thought you knew that."

Phil shook his head. "No, I didn't – not until today, anyway. You should tell me these things, Skye – we've wasted so much time. What if we lose her? What if she doesn't know how I feel?"

Skye smiled sadly at him. "She knows – we women always do. Do you know how obvious Ward was about his feelings for me? The rest of us saw it, and so did May. But she's going to make it and you'll tell her just as soon as she wakes up."

He leaned over and squeezed her hand, trying to ignore the remaining blood still on his. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." And then Skye went back to staring at the wall.

When the doctor came out a few hours later, Phil jumped to his feet. "How is she?"

"Agent May made it through the surgery and is currently in recovering. We retrieved the bullet and are giving her a transfusion. It didn't do any damage so she's lucky. One person can go in and see her if they like."

Skye nudged Coulson. "You should go in there and be with the woman you love."

"Thank you for everything," Phil told the doctor before following the nurse back to Melinda's room. The sight of her – pale and hooked up to machines – took his breath away. He sat down in the chair and grabbed her hand. When his exhaustion finally caught up with him, Phil fell asleep on the chair and only awoke when he heard a nurse speaking six hours later. He grinned when he saw Melinda's eyes were open.

"I told her not to wake you," Melinda complained after the nurse left.

"Mel, it's fine. How are you feeling?"

"Drugged as fuck. How do you think?"

Phil laughed. "Honest answer – much appreciated."

Melinda yawned and then reluctantly let go of Phil's hand. "You should go back to the others and get some more sleep. I'll still be here in the morning."

He shook his head. Unwilling to have this conversation while Melinda was drugged; however, he stood up and kissed her forehead. "You need to get some rest, not me. I'm not the one who got shot. I'm sure someone will force me to go to the cafeteria but I'm not going anywhere. Get that through your head right now, Melinda."

She stared at him. "Fine, but you better listen to the others. I know you're worried but we've been through worse."

He nodded and then left the room, letting the kids usher him down to the cafeteria to eat something. And they all watched him too. It was two days later when Phil finally worked up the courage – and when Melinda wasn't so drugged – to tell her how he felt about her. "Melinda?"

She looked up from the book Trip bought her from the gift shop. "Yes?"

Phil looked down at his feet and then back up at her. "I realized something the other day. You almost dying made me realize how stupid I was. And I'm apologizing again for my behavior after I found out what you were doing for Fury, by the way. I shouldn't have treated you that way. I was lost, and you found me at my lowest point. And now I'm getting off track. The truth is, you've been right in front of me this entire time and I didn't realize it. I am in love with you, Melinda My, and I want to spend what's left of our lives together."

Melinda beamed and then tried to wipe away some stray tears. "Damn these pain meds for fucking with my hormones. I love you too, Philip Coulson."

"Great. Glad we're on the same page then." He laughed and then kissed her.

Phil and Melinda took it slow after she was released from the hospital but this had been a long time coming. And their family was so thrilled for them they didn't even mind (much) accidentally walking in on them a few times.


End file.
